Losing Control
by davros72
Summary: Rebecca discovers that some of her actions are not her own...


TITLE: Losing Control  
AUTHOR: Kevin Schultz  
AUTHOR'S EMAIL: davros72@prodigy.net  
PERMISSION TO ARCHIVE: Sure, just let me know where it'll be  
CATEGORY: Adventure, Mystery, um... f/f slash?  
RATINGS/WARNINGS: R (warning: f/f sexual content)  
MAIN CHARACTERS: Rebecca Fogg  
SPOILERS: None that I'm aware of  
SUMMARY: Rebecca discovers that some of her actions are not her own...  
DISCLAIMER: Phileas, Rebecca, Jules, and Passepartout belong to Talisman  
Crest Ltd.  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: OK, um, well, hmmm. This is my first attempt at something  
R-rated. It ended up being some f/f stuff (does that count as "slash"  
officially?). I hope it turned out tasteful (or at least tasty ). No  
offense is meant towards the character of Rebecca nor towards Francesca Hunt  
who portrays her. Just an idea that strolled through my brain one day. I  
wanted to try my hand at a couple of things here.  
  
  
FURTHER NOTE: Part one opens up with some of the R-rated stuff right off  
the bat, so consider yourself pre-warned. If you're not into it, just skip  
it or delete it.  
  
Oh, and extra credit if you can figure out who was the physical inspiration  
of the new character introduced Part One...   
  
*********************  
  
Rebecca Fogg rolled over in her bed, her legs tangling up in the sheets.  
She dreamily muttered something, and continued to doze. Her movements on  
the bed became more pronounced, and at last she kicked away all the covers  
and sheets, revealing her full body, her white nightclothes clinging to her  
supple, curvaceous body.  
  
The room was not warm, in fact it was slightly chilly, thanks to the crisp  
autumn night outside. However, Rebecca was perspiring enough to cause her  
bedclothes to become damp throughout. Her hardened nipples potruded through  
her clothing, and one could easily see the feminine curves of her legs.  
Rebecca's right hand drifted slowly down to her waist, and began pulling up  
her nightclothes. Eventually they were high enough on her that they  
revealed Rebecca's undergarments.  
  
Rebecca's hand slipped into her panties. She moaned a bit, still asleep, as  
her fingers brushed against her opening. Rubbing the area slightly with her  
right hand, her left hand began stroking at her own breasts. As she fondled  
her own nipples, and stimulated herself beneath her panties, Rebecca moaned  
even louder. She writhed about on the bed at the pleasure of her own touch.  
  
Suddenly she pinched her own nipple. The quick, sharp pain jolted Rebecca  
awake. She opened her eyes, and looked about. Then she looked down, and  
noticed where her hands were. She quickly withdrew them and smoothed down  
her bedclothes, covering herself properly once more.  
  
"Well, that was a bit odd," she said to herself. She swung her legs over  
the edge of her bed, and hopped out of bed. Carefully, she explored her  
room. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, she slipped back into bed,  
pulling the covers up around her again. Still a bit wary, Rebecca laid her  
head down on her pillow, and tried to go to sleep.  
  
Rebecca slept peacefully the rest of the night...  
  
*****  
  
The next morning, Rebecca was strolling along the London streets, gazing at  
the shops and their offerings, admiring the street vendors and their wares.  
Rebecca had decided to do some shopping this morning, but had absolutely no  
idea what she wanted to shop for. So she had set out at random, and hoped  
that she would know what she wanted when she came across it in the market.  
  
Rebecca paused outside Dalton's Clothiers, admiring a particularly  
well-designed purple outfit in the shop window. She was so intent on it  
that she did not even register the presence of another woman next to her,  
until the young woman leaned forward to get a better view, and brushed her  
arm against Rebecca's.  
  
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, ma'am," the young woman said hurriedly.  
  
Rebecca turned to eye the woman, replying, "Oh, think nothing of it,  
Miss..."  
  
"Porter. Melissa Porter." She bowed slightly. Rebecca eyes examined  
Melissa as the young woman smiled at Rebecca. She was young, about eighteen  
years old. Her long dark brown hair cascaded freely over her shoulders.  
Her smooth, exquisite face had a vaguely exotic, middle-eastern look to it,  
the only blemish Rebecca could see being a cute little mole on her left  
cheek. She was wearing a very tight, form-hugging white outfit, which left  
very little to one's imagination.  
  
"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Porter. My name is Rebecca Fogg."  
Rebecca smiled at the young woman.  
  
"Rebecca Fogg! That's right, you live across the street!" the young girl  
gushed. "I knew you looked familiar!" Melissa's face broke out into a huge  
grin.  
  
Rebecca's smile slipped into a tiny frown. "Across the street? So you must  
be one of the new tenants in the Cashton building?"  
  
Melissa nodded. "That's right. My family just moved in last month. I've  
seen you coming and going into your home over the last few weeks. I simply  
*love* some of your outfits! Is this where you get them?" Melissa turned  
to look in the shop window once more.  
  
Rebecca smiled again, and turned to examine the purple outfit. "Well, as a  
matter of fact, no. I design most of my own wardrobe."  
  
Melissa gasped, and grabbed Rebecca's arm. "You are not serious! Do you  
really?"  
  
Rebecca giggled, her smile widening. "Yes, Miss Porter, I really do. It's  
a... hobby of mine. Amongst other things."  
  
Melissa bounced up and down. "Oh, this is simply delightful! And please  
call me Melissa."  
  
"All right. As long as you promise to call me Rebecca."  
  
Melissa nodded, calming down a bit. "I promise," she smiled.  
  
"Would you care to stop by some time and examine my clothing with me,  
Melissa?" Rebecca asked.  
  
"Nothing would make me happier..." Melissa replied.  
  
*****  
  
Rebecca arrived at home, having bought nothing all day. Perhaps she had  
just needed to get out in the fresh air, she thought. Well, at least as  
fresh as London air can get, anyway.  
  
After finishing her dinner, she dismissed all her servants for the rest of  
the evening, and retired to bed. She lit a candle by her bedside, and  
picked up the book she had begun reading the other evening. It was an  
interesting story of action and intrigue set during the American  
Revolutionary War. Quite why she had picked up a book on the topic was  
beyond her, but nevertheless she had found it quite absorbing.  
  
After reading a few pages, Rebecca's eyelids became heavier and heavier.  
Sighing, she marked her place in her book, and placed it on the nearby  
table. Blowing out the candle, Rebecca snuggled under the heavy, warm  
covers. She looked all about the room, letting her eyes adjust to the  
darkness, and saw that everything was as it should be. As she rolled over  
and was about to shut her eyes, she noticed something.  
  
A tiny flash of light winked at her from through the thin curtains covering  
her windows. Rebecca forced her heavy eyelids open, and lay still,  
concentrating her vision on the very spot the flash had come from. Watching  
silently for several minutes, Rebecca noticed no more glinting. However,  
her curiosity was now piqued. Slowly, very slowly, she slid one hand down  
to the floor, and felt around under her bed. Grasping the object she  
desired, she slowly drew it up towards her, under the covers. Still lying  
down and facing the window, she slipped the tiny spyglass up to her eye, and  
aimed her sight at the location of the earlier glinting.  
  
Adjusting the focus, and slowly moving her aim about, she quickly zeroed in  
on the building across the street. The Cashton Building, of course, she  
thought. I thought that young girl was a bit *too* friendly this morning,  
Rebecca said to herself. She focused in tighter, and suddenly discovered  
the young, pretty face of Melissa Porter filling her spyglass. Rebecca  
almost dropped the implement out of shock, but her strong training kept her  
in check.  
  
"Is that a smile I see on young Melissa's face?" Rebecca asked herself  
quietly, a smile forming on her own lips. "Well, well, well," she continued  
as she watched Melissa bring up a spyglass to her own eye. The two watchers  
smiled at each other across the void as their eyelines met. Melissa lowered  
her spyglass and politely nodded her head. It looked like she might have  
been giggling a bit.  
  
Melissa stood, and moved to her own window. Rebecca adjusted the focus of  
her spyglass as her target moved closer. Melissa opened the window, and  
shivered a bit as the chilly air brushed her skin. Her nightclothes  
fluttered in the breeze. Yawning theatrically, Melissa slowly and  
methodically began to lift up her nightdress. Rebecca blushed, and quickly  
lowered her spyglass. "Goodness gracious, Melissa," Rebecca laughed, "have  
you no decency?" Rebecca turned to put away her spyglass. There was no  
need for her to go on watching the spectacle. If that poor young girl  
wanted to be an object of lewd attention, then so be it. Rebecca wanted no  
part of it.  
  
... Then again, perhaps she might. Rebecca paused, and turned back to the  
window. She couldn't help it, she just *had* to see what Melissa was up to.  
She once again put her spyglass up to her eye, and adjusted the focus. As  
she zoomed in on Melissa, she saw that Melissa had become completely naked.  
Not a single stitch of clothing remained on her body. The chill night air  
had raised goosebumps on her pale skin, and had hardened the nipples on her  
small, budding breasts.  
  
Rebecca felt a warm stirring within herself, and tried to ignore it. "This  
is silly, she's a *woman*, for goodness' sake," Rebecca told herself out  
loud. "It's not like I'm watching--" She broke off as Melissa suddenly  
began running her hands up and down her own body. Rebecca found that she  
simply could not turn away from this beautiful, naked young woman. Rebecca  
licked her suddenly dry lips.  
  
Melissa began gyrating her body slowly to some unheard rhythm. She slid her  
hands up between her legs, stroking her own smooth thighs. Her hands paused  
slightly at her hips, and continued on up to her breasts. Melissa closed  
her eyes as her fingers began playing with her small, round breasts. Her  
lips began to move, and clearly she was saying something. Rebecca  
concentrated and applied her lip-reading skills, discovering with only  
slight amazement that the word Melissa was repeating was "Rebecca."  
  
Melissa's right hand slowly moved down her body, and she began pleasuring  
herself. She gyrated faster and faster, all the while whispering the name  
"Rebecca." Eventually, and much too soon for Rebecca's liking, Melissa  
worked herself up to a climax, and shuddered as the giddiness of the  
sensations died down. Still smiling, Melissa waved coyly, and closed her  
window. Drawing her curtains closed, Melissa withdrew from sight, deeper  
into her dark room, and disappeared from Rebecca's view.  
  
Rebecca found herself flushed with excitement. She threw off her blankets,  
but kept her bedsheet about her. She put away her spyglass, and lay back,  
closing her eyes. She smiled as she drifted asleep, her dreams filled with  
the images of young Melissa Porter, and her lithe young body gyrating in the  
moonlight just for Rebecca...  
  
*****  
  
Melissa slipped under the covers of her bed, still nude. She smiled quietly  
to herself, a small giggle escaping her. "Well, that was fun," she  
whispered.  
  
"It most certainly was, my dear," a voice whispered back out of the  
darkness. "You are carrying out your assignment extremely well, Miss  
Porter. Just be careful you don't enjoy yourself *too* much."  
  
Melissa laughed. "Yes, sir!" she replied.  
  
A dark figure rose from a chair in a corner of Melissa's bedroom, and, after  
swiftly kissing Melissa's forehead, the figure withdrew from the room,  
leaving Melissa alone.  
  
*****  
  
Rebecca stepped through the doorway, and entered the headquarters of the  
British Secret Service. Strolling purposefully down the main corridor, she  
deliberately ignored the call of "Miss Fogg!" from Chatsworth's office, and  
headed straight for her own small private office. Arriving at her door, she  
smiled at her personal assistant, Sarah Chesterton, and said, "I'm not  
available for anyone, including and especially Sir Jonathan, is that  
understood?" Sarah nodded from her tiny desk.  
  
Rebecca entered her office, and closed the door, locking it behind her. She  
stood for a moment, her back against the door, and closing her eyes she  
collected her thoughts.  
  
The trouble was, her thoughts as of late seemed to be increasingly filled  
with thoughts that were most decidedly *not* her own. Particularly the  
vivid ones which visited her in the late evenings, and concerned one Melissa  
Porter from across the street from her residence. Looking back at those  
intriguing yet disturbing thoughts, Rebecca had to admit that before those  
particular moments, she had never once had feelings about another woman, at  
least in a sexual, lustful way. Well, except for one, but that was  
*completely* different, Rebecca told herself with a wicked smile.  
  
The fact of the matter was, Rebecca knew herself to be decidedly  
heterosexual. But with the events of the last few nights, she needed to do  
some investigating into quite why she was behaving as she was. Reliving the  
moments in her mind, she recalled that some of her actions and thoughts  
seemed to happen of their own volition. It was as if Rebecca had been  
*controlled* in some way. She snapped her eyes open, and said, "A-ha! Mind  
control..."  
  
Rebecca stepped away from her door, and sat down at her desk. She swivelled  
her chair about to face the shelf of books behind her, and scanned the  
spines. Spotting the one she wanted, she plucked it out of the bookcase,  
and swung her chair back around to face the desk. She kicked back in the  
chair, and began scanning the pages...  
  
*****  
  
Rebecca Fogg stomped miserably through the London fog. Her black cloak  
matched the darkness of the night sky. Just as she reached the doorstep to  
her residence, she heard a slight noise. Turning quickly, she spotted a  
small shape hiding in the doorway of the Cashton Building. The shape  
stepped out into the pale light of the street, revealing itself to be  
Melissa Porter.  
  
"Rebecca," Melissa said, tentatively.  
  
"What are you doing outside at such a late hour, Melissa? Shouldn't you be  
in bed?" Rebecca queried.  
  
Melissa looked down at her bare feet which poked out from beneath her robes.  
"I should," she whispered. "But I wanted to talk to you again."  
  
Rebecca sighed, and looked sadly at the young woman. "Well, all right, come  
on in, but only for a little while." Rebecca opened her door, and ushered  
Melissa inside. "I'll make some tea for us both, you wait in the drawing  
room while I get it ready."  
  
Melissa grinned as she spotted a large, luxurious couch facing a roaring  
fire. "That sounds wonderful, Rebecca."  
  
Rebecca headed for her kitchen, removing her black cloak and tossing it  
haphazardly onto the floor. She looked down at herself, and noticed she was  
wearing her black leather catsuit. "Damn," she muttered. She had left her  
catsuit on after finishing a small but dangerous assignment for Sir Jonathan  
earlier in the evening. "How am I going to explain this to her?" she mused.  
After a moment, she shrugged, removed her toolbelts and holsters, tossed  
them onto the floor as well, and continued on to make the tea.  
  
Returning to the drawing room, Rebecca found Melissa on the couch, clad only  
in her nightgown, her outer robes having long since been discarded. Melissa  
was sitting and pointing her naked feet at the fire, wriggling her toes.  
  
"The fire is so warm and comforting, Rebecca," Melissa said with a dreamy  
smile. "Did your servants prepare it for-- Oh my goodness, what on earth  
are you wearing?"  
  
Rebecca sighed, and set down the tea. "It's... well, it's my work uniform,  
I suppose," Rebecca explained. "You see... and I really shouldn't be  
telling you this, and I'm not sure why I am, but I'm an agent in the British  
Secret Service."  
  
Melissa's eyes widened. "Are you really?"  
  
Rebecca nodded. "Yes. And, from time to time, I get called on to perform  
some rather dangerous duties. Some of which call for extreme measures and  
rather unusual solutions. This outfit serves to provide not only freedom of  
movement, but access to all manner of special gadgets and whatnot."  
  
Melissa's eyes ran over every inch of Rebecca's catsuit. "I like it,"  
Melissa said quietly. "I like it a lot."  
  
"Admittedly, it's not the sort of outfit one might purchase from Dalton's  
Clothiers, but..."  
  
Melissa giggled girlishly at Rebecca's joke. "Could I try it on?" she asked  
suddenly.  
  
"Try it on?" Rebecca echoed. "Well... well, I don't see why not. Let me  
just go change--"  
  
"No," Melissa said firmly. "Let me help you. Come sit over here." Melissa  
patted the seat next to her on the couch.  
  
Rebecca frowned slightly, and shrugged her shoulders. "Very well." She sat  
down next to Melissa on the couch, and turned her back to the young woman.  
"Start by undoing the buckles on the corset," Rebecca instructed.  
  
Melissa reached for the straps and the buckles holding the corset tight to  
Rebecca's body. She loosened the first one with a tiny giggle, and quickly  
went to work on the rest of them. Eventually, she had fully unbuckled the  
corset. It slipped off of Rebecca easily, and fell to the floor. The loss  
of the corset simply accentuated the curves of Rebecca's body, now that all  
she was wearing was the form-hugging black layer of the catsuit. Melissa  
licked her lips, and said quietly, "You are such a beautiful woman, Rebecca  
Fogg."  
  
Rebecca closed her eyes, and said nothing.  
  
Melissa moved her hands from Rebecca's back, and reached around to her  
front. She cupped her hands around Rebecca's breasts, and squeezed gently.  
  
"Melissa, I--" Rebecca began.  
  
"Shhh, shhh..." Melissa shushed her. "Just let it happen..."  
  
Rebecca moaned slightly, as Melissa began to rhythmically rub her breasts  
through the fabric of the catsuit. Melissa's left hand eventually slipped  
its way down the front of the outfit, and fondled Rebecca's breast directly,  
touching her erect nipple, and gently rubbing it. Melissa leaned forward  
slightly, and gently kissed the back of Rebecca's neck. Rebecca smiled at  
this, and leaned back towards Melissa.  
  
After a few moments more with Rebecca's breasts, Melissa slipped her hands  
away from Rebecca's front, and began to undo the back of the catsuit.  
Working silently, she eventually opened the top enough to extract Rebecca's  
arms, and lower the top down to her waist, revealing Rebecca's naked breasts  
in all their glory. "What, no undergarments?" Melissa teased.  
  
"They restrict my movement too much," Rebecca breathed. "And it makes me  
feel naughty, as well..."  
  
Melissa giggled, as once more she reached around from behind, and cupped  
Rebecca's breasts in her delicate hands. Rebecca leant back even further,  
pressing her back against Melissa's still-covered chest. Rebecca could feel  
the small, budding breasts of the young woman pressing into her back, and  
squirmed slightly just to feel them move against her skin through the fabric  
of Melissa's clothing.  
  
Melissa slid her right hand down under the remaining part of the catsuit,  
and Rebecca writhed happily in response. Rebecca turned to face Melissa,  
and boldly kissed the young woman on the lips. Their lips pressed together,  
their tongues met and intertwined... it was one of the most passionate  
kisses Rebecca had ever experienced. Overcome with lust for the young  
woman, Rebecca tore at Melissa's nightclothes, ripping them apart to reveal  
the naked, young, nubile body underneath. Rebecca reached for Melissa's  
breasts, and moved the little necklace Melissa was wearing out of the way of  
her questing hands. Rebecca detached her lips from Melissa's and hungrily  
began to suckle at Melissa's nipples, first one then the other. Melissa  
giggled and moaned in response.  
  
Their bodies pressed against one another, front to front. Melissa massaged  
Rebecca's body, her hands working their way down to Rebecca's firm, round  
buttocks. She squeezed the cheeks gently, which earned her a small bite on  
one of her nipples. Melissa squealed in delight, and giggled as Rebecca  
worked her mouth up to kiss her once again. Their breasts pressed against  
each other's, their bodies rubbing and moving together rhythmically.  
Rebecca worked her hands up to caress Melissa's neck, her left hand catching  
at the necklace again.  
  
"Mmmm... Melissa," Rebecca moaned, "let me take this necklace off, it's just  
getting in the way..."  
  
"No!" Melissa yelped. "I mean," she continued somewhat more quietly, "it's  
very valuable to me, I don't want to lose it."  
  
"You won't," Rebecca said between kisses. "I'll just set it on the table  
over there for now..."  
  
"No," Melissa said, "just leave it."  
  
Rebecca stopped kissing Melissa, and shook her head, as if trying to  
remember something. Something about a jewel...  
  
"Kiss me, Rebecca, I love you so much..." Melissa pleaded as she began to  
rub her legs up and down against Rebecca's.  
  
Rebecca blinked, and blinked again, her mind struggling to focus on the  
jewel... a crystal... Her eyes focussed on Melissa's necklace, and saw the  
tiny crystal that hung from the silver chain. "No..." Rebecca mumbled.  
"No..." Still struggling to think clearly, Rebecca grabbed the necklace,  
yanked at it, breaking the clasp and freeing it from Melissa's neck.  
Rebecca quickly tossed the necklace aside. Pushing herself off of Melissa,  
Rebecca shook her head, trying to clear it. "Control, I must keep control."  
  
Melissa tried to pull Rebecca back down to her, kissing Rebecca's breasts as  
an enticement. Rebecca groggily stood up.  
  
"No, stop it, Melissa, this isn't... this isn't..." Rebecca pressed her  
hands to her head. She was confused, and could not think straight. Why was  
she feeling this way? What was all that business about the crystal? She  
struggled to remember.  
  
Melissa stood up as well, and embraced Rebecca. "I love you Rebecca, don't  
you see that?"  
  
Rebecca pushed Melissa away. "How can you love me, you hardly even know  
me?"  
  
"Because she's acting under my orders, Miss Fogg," said a new voice. A man  
stepped forward from the shadows, holding the necklace aloft in one hand.  
"And because we're using this crystal."  
  
Rebecca blinked in surprise. "Von Kessler..." she hissed.  
  
General Von Kessler stepped closer to Melissa, and put a protective  
arm around the young girl. "You have done well, Fraulein Porter. Thank you  
for  
your efforts, I don't believe you are needed any longer."  
  
Melissa's smile suddenly dropped from her face. "What?" she asked,  
bewildered. "But... but what about Rebecca... and our, um, friendship?"  
  
Von Kessler chuckled, and turned to face Melissa. "My dear girl, you do not  
understand, do you? This 'relationship' was nothing more than the product  
of our combined will focussed through the power of this crystal. It has no  
real basis, it's just a fiction."  
  
Melissa shook her head. "No, no, it's not. I love Rebecca, truly I do!"  
she protested.  
  
Von Kessler silenced her with a quick backhand slap across her face. Tears  
welled up in the young woman's eyes as she stumbled back and fell onto the  
couch.  
  
Rebecca stepped forward, not bothering to cover herself. "Don't you *dare*  
touch her again, Von Kessler, or I swear to you..."  
  
"Oh, come now, not you as well, Fraulein Fogg?" Von Kessler said, rolling  
his  
eyes. "You don't have any real feelings for this young girl. It was all  
implanted in your mind."  
  
"Nevertheless, I cannot simply stand here and watch you strike a defenseless  
young woman."  
  
Von Kessler nodded. "Point taken. However, with this crystal, I have now  
implanted the seeds of suggestion into your mind. Anything I project into  
your thoughts, you will act as if they are your own. For instance, you no  
longer have any compunctions about men striking 'defenseless young women'."  
Von Kessler shut his eyes and concentrated briefly. Once he opened them, he  
turned to Melissa once more, and slapped her again.  
  
Rebecca watched silently, raising no protest.  
  
"You see?" Von Kessler chuckled. "I now have total control over you,  
Rebecca Fogg. You will do as I say, you will follow my orders, and you will  
  
be my slave. As my personal agent, I now have a very highly-placed mole  
within the British Secret Service."  
  
Rebecca nodded.  
  
"Now, come over here, and give me a kiss from your delicious lips, that I  
might taste a tiny bit of heaven on this dreamy evening," Von Kessler  
whispered.  
  
Rebecca silently moved closer to Von Kessler, and wrapped her arms around  
him, holding him close. She tilted her head, moving her lips towards Von  
Kessler's. She paused before their lips met, and whispered back to him.  
"Oh, Von Kessler..."  
  
Von Kessler, anxious now that the moment he had dreamt of for so long had  
now arrived, closed his eyes, smiled, and whispered back, "Oh, Rebecca..."  
  
Rebecca smiled as well, and continued, "... if you think for one moment that  
I would be your slave, much less *kiss* you, then you're more of a fool than  
I ever gave you credit for." Von Kessler's eyes snapped open, as Rebecca,  
her arms around him, suddenly yanked him off his feet and flipped him head  
over heels onto his back. The wind knocked out of him, he could only watch  
helplessly as Rebecca stood over him.  
  
"Kissing you is one of the very *last* things I would ever let myself be  
caught doing. There is simply no way I would let that happen, mind control  
or not!"  
  
Von Kessler swept out with his arms, slamming them into Rebecca's legs,  
causing her to fall backwards amongst the furniture. He scrambled to his  
feet and, after a quick look round, dashed up the nearby stairwell.  
  
Rebecca picked herself up off the ground gingerly. "Damn him!" she  
muttered. She then noticed that her top was still undone. Quickly redoing  
the straps and buckles, she hurried off after Von Kessler, taking the stairs  
two at a time. She reached the top floor just in time to see a window fall  
shut. She rushed over to it and opened it, climbing out onto the tiny  
ledge. She looked up, and saw a booted foot disappearing over the roof's  
edge. Refusing to look down, she quickly jumped up and grabbed the tiny lip  
of the edging. She just prayed that Von Kessler was fool enough not to hang  
around in order to prise her fingers off the ledge and cause her to plunge  
to her death. Of course he's not that smart, she said to herself,  
half-convinced.  
  
Finally pulling herself over, and rolling onto the relative safety of her  
roof, Rebecca took in the scene. No sign of Von Kessler. The chimney over  
there provided the most obvious protection, she thought, which means he's  
probably behind it. The small door leading to the building's interior was  
locked from the inside, Rebecca was sure of that. So he couldn't have gone  
that way. There was no other cover. Right, Rebecca thought, chimney it is,  
then.  
  
Rebecca slowly crept over to the chimney, listening for any tell-tale signs  
of Von Kessler's presence. She thought she heard his breathing, but  
couldn't be certain. As she neared the chimney, Von Kessler suddenly leapt  
out from behind its cover. A grin on his face and his sword in his hand,  
the general slowly approached Rebecca.  
  
Rebecca smiled back, and reached down to grab one of the many weapons  
attached to her catsuit...  
  
... and came up empty. Rebecca could have slapped herself. Of course, she  
grumbled to herself, I took all my tools off when I went to make tea.  
You're a fool, Rebecca. No, strike that, she thought, you were simply under  
the influence of the crystal.  
  
"Poor, defenseless women seem to be all around this evening, wouldn't you  
say, Fraulein Fogg?" Von Kessler said with a hideous leer. He swished his  
sword  
teasingly at Rebecca. "I'm afraid your righteous indignation won't get you  
out of this." He swung the sword at Rebecca, who jumped back  
instinctively, narrowly avoiding a nasty cut to her torso.  
  
"A defenseless woman can defeat a bully of a man any time, Von Kessler,"  
Rebecca hissed back. "Just watch and see."  
  
Rebecca threw herself onto the ground, and lashed her arms out, sweeping Von  
Kessler off his feet. Von Kessler's sword went clattering away across the  
roof. Both fighters scrambled on all fours to pick up the weapon. Von  
Kessler got to it first, and swiftly brought the point up and held it at  
Rebecca's throat. "My dear, you forget, not only do I have my sword, I also  
have the crystal."  
  
Rebecca knocked Von Kessler's sword arm away from her throat as she rolled  
herself away from the general. She quickly bounded to her feet, and held  
her fists at the ready. "Have you forgotten, Von Kessler, that it no longer  
works on me?"  
  
Von Kessler laughed, an evil grin spreading across his face. "Not at all.  
I wasn't referring to you, my dear Fraulein Fogg."  
  
A high-pitched scream pierced the night air.  
  
"Melissa..." Rebecca breathed.  
  
Von Kessler chuckled again. "Correct, Fraulein Fogg. Now, the situation is  
this. You can either continue fighting me, in which case you might win, or  
you might lose. Or, perhaps you might want to see what all the screaming is  
about..."  
  
Rebecca felt a blind fury rise within her. She kicked out with her booted  
feet, knocking Von Kessler down once more. Rushing back to the ledge where  
she first climbed over onto the roof, she looked over the lip to see Melissa  
dangling precariously from the window ledge just below. From the look of  
things, Melissa would not be able to hang on for very long. Rebecca looked  
back, and saw Von Kessler struggling to his feet. She turned back to  
Melissa, leaned over the ledge as far as she dared, and thrust out her hand.  
  
"Melissa," she called urgently, "take my hand!"  
  
Melissa was crying. "I don't know why I did this," she wailed. "I'm sorry,  
Rebecca."  
  
"Quiet, Melissa, don't worry about it, I'm going to get you out of this."  
She thrust her hand out further. "Take it, take my hand, Melissa."  
  
Melissa looked up into Rebecca's eyes. "Are you doing this because you love  
me, or is it that damn crystal?" she sobbed. "I'm so confused, Rebecca,  
help me!"  
  
Rebecca strained to reach out further. "That's what I'm trying to do, now  
grab hold of my hand! Do it, now!"  
  
Melissa looked doubtful, her tears streaming down her face.  
  
Rebecca softened her voice. "Melissa, trust me. Please. Take my hand."  
  
Melissa took a deep breath, and reached up with her left hand. She reached  
as far as she could, her fingers brushing against Rebecca's. Rebecca leant  
forward a touch more, and they joined hands at last. "Good!" Rebecca said.  
"I've got you! Now, let go of the windowledge, and I'll pull you up."  
  
Melissa's eyes widened. "But I--"  
  
"Now, Melissa, please!"  
  
Melissa shut her eyes, and let go of the windowledge. She and Rebecca  
dipped slightly towards the ground below, before Rebecca got a better  
control of their balance point. Rebecca grabbed Melissa's blindly questing  
hand, and, now holding onto both of Melissa's hands, began to haul the young  
woman upwards. As they reached the safety of the rooftop, they rolled over  
away from the edge, to get them out of harm's way. They lay in each other's  
arms for a few moments, both of them catching their breath. Von Kessler was  
nowhere to be seen.  
  
After a few moments, Melissa broke the awkward silence. "I'm sorry,  
Rebecca."  
  
"What for?" Rebecca asked, as she lay peacefully next to Melissa.  
  
"For everything," came the reply. "For using you, for using the crystal,  
for deceiving you, for... for loving you..."  
  
Rebecca rolled over to lay on her side, propped her head up on her hand, and  
looked at Melissa. "There's no need to apologize for 'loving' me, Melissa,  
it was the crystal."  
  
Melissa looked back at Rebecca. "No, it wasn't. Before we met, and when we  
did bump into each other at the market, yes, it was the crystal. But that  
first night, when we saw each other across the way... I wasn't using the  
crystal."  
  
Rebecca raised an eyebrow. "Indeed."  
  
"I swear to you, I was not using it. We connected, Rebecca, you and I, in a  
way I don't quite understand, except that I think I love you."  
  
Rebecca sat up, and helped Melissa sit up as well. Rebecca took Melissa's  
hands in her own, and looked into the younger woman's eyes. "Melissa, we  
barely know each other. Having seen one another for a few days, having  
barely spoken to one another, that's... well, that's hardly the basis for  
loving someone."  
  
Melissa frowned, and said, "But--"  
  
Rebecca shushed her, placing a hand to Melissa's lips. "Melissa, trust me  
on this, as you trusted me before. It isn't love, whatever you might think.  
Right now, your heart is telling you it is. But you will see, as time goes  
on, that all it really is, is simply a fixation, probably a side effect of  
your use of the crystal."  
  
A tear formed in Melissa's eye, but refused to roll down her cheek. "I  
trust you, Rebecca," she said.  
  
"Good," Rebecca said, smiling. "Now, let's see about getting down from  
here."  
  
Melissa stood up, and helped Rebecca up. "I don't want to go over any more  
ledges, Rebecca."  
  
"Nor do I," Rebecca said, looking over at the locked door leading to the  
interior...  
  
*****  
  
"... I'm sorry you had to break down your roof door, Rebecca," Melissa said,  
picking up her things from the drawing room.  
  
"That's all right, Melissa," Rebecca said. "I needed a good workout tonight  
anyway."  
  
Melissa giggled. "And I'm sorry Von Kessler got away from you."  
  
"Oh, he won't elude me for long, not if I can do anything about it."  
  
Melissa moved towards the door. "I should probably go home now," she said.  
  
"Melissa, I'd like you to come with me to Headquarters tomorrow, we'll need  
to write up a full report on what happened."  
  
Melissa's eyes twinkled as she turned to look back at Rebecca. "A 'full'  
report?"  
  
Rebecca smiled back. "Well, perhaps not as detailed as it might be, but  
with enough of the facts to make it official."  
  
The two women laughed quietly. Melissa turned back to the door.  
  
"See you in the morning, Melissa," Rebecca called.  
  
Melissa opened the door, paused, and turned back to look at Rebecca. "Good  
night, Rebecca," she said softly. She quickly turned away again and  
scurried out the door.  
  
*****  
  
The next morning, Rebecca crossed the street and knocked on the front door  
of the Cashton Building. She stood patiently as she heard scuffling  
movements inside. The door was opened by a kindly old man, who let her into  
the main hallway. "Yes, can I help you, ma'am?" the old man asked politely.  
  
Rebecca smiled. "Yes, I'm looking for Melissa Porter, I'm a friend of  
hers."  
  
The man frowned slightly. "Melissa who?"  
  
"Porter. She lives upstairs, on the side facing the street. On the north  
corner."  
  
"I'm sorry, my dear young lady, that room has been vacant for several months  
now," the old man said. "Perhaps you are thinking of Old Lady Huggins, she  
lives in the rooms on the south end of that side of the building."  
  
Rebecca pursed her lips. "I'm assuming by your usage of the phrase "Old  
Lady" that Miss Huggins is somewhat older than eighteen years of age?"  
  
The old man laughed. "Oh, my goodness, yes! Lizzie Huggins is fast  
approaching ninety years old, and she's not showing any signs of slowing  
down, I can assure you!"  
  
Rebecca nodded politely. "Well, might I just take a peep at the north end  
rooms? Please? It would mean ever so much to me."  
  
Smiling, the old man replied, "Of course, young lady. But I assure you,  
there's no one there. They are available, if you're thinking of moving..."  
  
"No thank you, I just want to confirm my suspicions."  
  
"I understand. Come on in, the stairs are just over there. The door is  
open upstairs. Feel free to let yourself out. If you change your mind  
about taking up residence, you know where to find me." He shuffled off and  
headed into his set of rooms, marked with a number "1" on the door.  
  
Rebecca headed up the stairs, and entered the north rooms. There was indeed  
no one there. There were some pieces of furniture about the place, but  
mostly covered in dust. She passed from room to room, eventually reaching  
the bedroom, which did contain an uncovered bed. Rebecca walked over to the  
window, and looked out. She could see her own rooms from here. Smiling  
wistfully, she moved away from the windows. As she moved to leave the  
bedroom, she noticed a piece of paper on a nearby table. Picking it up, she  
read it to herself.  
  
"My dearest Rebecca,  
  
"I am sorry that I left without saying goodbye. I couldn't face the fact  
that you would never truly love me. I know that now. It was hard for me to  
convince myself of that, but I see that it is true. My loving you was,  
perhaps, a side effect of the crystal. Your loving me was most definitely  
the result of its powers.  
  
"I decided I had to leave because I know that the General would most likely  
use me again to get to you. And I could not bear the thought of being a  
pawn in his game against you. Know that I am well, know that I will  
remember you forever, and know that I will always love you, crystal or no  
crystal.  
  
"Don't try to follow me. Don't try to get in contact with me. You would  
only bring me more heartache than I could bear.  
  
"Take care of yourself. Don't get into too many dangerous situations.  
  
"But most of all, find someone to fall in love with.  
  
"Your loving friend,  
  
"Melissa."  
  
Rebecca closed her eyes. Silently folding up the note, she slipped it into  
her coat pocket, and left the room.  
  
...THE END... 


End file.
